17 Best Crypto Exchanges and Apps of January 2023

Are you looking for the best places to buy Bitcoin and crypto? In case you want to diversify your investments or just want to make some money, we will take a look at the most popular and trusted crypto exchanges.

These options are great if you’re located in the United States and can provide verification before a crypto purchase. Each respective website will detail its own requirements and fees.

Pro tip: You may benefit from learning more about BTC in this Bitcoin for dummies guide. Also learning about how to get started with digital real estate.

Where to Buy and Sell Crypto

Do you know that major companies are now accepting Bitcoin as payment? In case you want to diversify your investments or just want to make some money, we will take a look at the most popular and trusted cryptocurrency exchanges.

1) Coinbase

Coinbase has emerged as one of the high profile names in the Bitcoin world placing itself on the top as a one-stop solution for Bitcoins. Coinbase is a San Francisco based digital asset exchange that lets you turn your fiat currency into cryptocurrency. Its the main entry point into the cryptocurrency space for most people. It’s currently the quickest and easiest way to buy cryptocurrencies in the USA. You can also shop for NFTs, get free NFTs, and explore all the NFT collections on Coinbase NFT.

Create your Coinbase account and get $10 in free Bitcoin at Coinbase.

Details

• Fees: Coinbase charges 3.99% fees for credit/debit card purchases but you can get your coins instantly. 1.49% if you buy from your bank account.
• Pro: “Instant Buy” option available with credit card or debit card
• Con: Purchases made with bank transfer can take up to 5 days to complete

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to Navigate
• Fees: Average
• Reputation: Trusted

If you wanted to create a Coinbase account you can create a Coinbase account by clicking this link.

Related: 11 Best Coinbase Alternatives with Lower Fees (Comparison)

2) Robinhood

Robinhood is a great option for those who want to buy Bitcoin but want to avoid paying any fees. Robinhood is an investing app that allows you to buy and sell Bitcoin with no commissions.

If you’re already familiar with how to buy and sell stocks, then buying Bitcoin on Robinhood will be super easy. In addition to buying Bitcoin (BTC) — you can buy Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin SV (BSV), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Ethereum Classic (ETC), and Litecoin (LTC).

Overall, using Robinhood to buy Bitcoin is smart, easy, and straightforward. Plus, you’ll even give you a free stock worth up to $225 for joining. Then you can sell that stock and buy free Bitcoin with it.

Details

• Fees: Free
• Pro: Easy to use and you can buy or sell bitcoin without commissions.
• Con: Limited supported currencies and no crypto wallets.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

Related: Robinhood Review: My Experience Day Trading on Robinhood

3) Kraken

As one of the largest and oldest Bitcoin exchanges in the world, Kraken is consistently named one of the best places to buy and sell crypto online, thanks to its excellent service, low fees, versatile funding options, and rigorous security standards — but this is only part of the story. They’ve been at the forefront of the blockchain revolution since 2011 and is one of the best Coinbase alternatives.

Details

• Fees: The fee per transaction for buying Bitcoin is 0.9%.
• Pro: Lightning-fast engine allowing 1,500,000 transactions per second gives users a great trading advantage.
• Con: No credit/debit card deposits.

Summary

• User Interface: Sleek design, a good overview of the trading market with lots of customizations.
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

If you are trying to take your crypto investments to the next level, you can get started with Kraken here.

4) Bitstamp

As a cornerstone of crypto since 2011, Bitstamp has been building liquidity since the early days of Bitcoin all the while providing a reliable, secure platform for retail and institutional crypto trading.

Their long-term focus means they’re committed to customer protection and market integrity without any shortcuts. Bitstamp provides a multi-custodian approach with deep liquidity across 70+ digital assets.

Bitstamp is Regulated by the Luxembourg Financial Regulator (CSSF) since early 2016.

Details

• Fees: up to 0.5%
• Pro: Safest option with Approximately 95% of assets stored offline and protected by BitGo’s and Paragon’s insurance coverage
• Con: No crypto wallet available

Summary

• User Interface: Beginner-friendly user interface and intuitive top-rated mobile app.
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Longest-running cryptocurrency exchange since 2011

5) SoFi Invest

SoFi Invest is a free consumer investing service that offers stocks, ETFs, and robo advising, with no commissions or management fees.

With SoFi Invest, you can trade crypto 24/7, unlike the regular market. This means weekends, holidays, middle of the night—no time is off limits.

Just like Coinbase, you can trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Cardano, and 17 more coins—24/7 all with no fees. Plus, more new coins are on the way.

Worried about your money getting hacked? You don’t have to be. SoFi invest is a secure platform that ensures your holdings are protected against fraud and theft. Your holdings are FDIC-insured as well.

Details

• Fees: SoFi will charge a markup of up to 1.25% on crypto transactions.
• Pro: If you have the SoFi app, you can buy crypto alongside the stocks, fractional shares, and ETFs that you’re already trading.
• Con: Can’t transfer crypto holdings to an external wallet.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Fair
• Reputation: Trusted

6) TradeStation Crypto

TradeStation Crypto allows you to buy, sell, and earn cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but you can quickly move between all trading platforms.

Buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies all in a single hassle-free crypto trading platform, packed with the tools and technology crypto traders need.

• Buy, sell and hold BCH, BTC, ETH, LTC, and USDC
• One-click order entry
• Easily keep track of your interest income
• Quickly analyze prices
• Customize your trading interface
• Instantly see your unrealized profits

You can also trade equities, options, and futures with TradeStation Securities.

Details

• Fees: TradeStation Crypto offers innovative pricing that is not tied to volume. Instead, rates are based on your account balance. TradeStation charges a competitive 0.3% per trade for accounts with balances of $100,000 or less, and even less for higher volume crypto traders.
• Pro: Offers real-time market data, no minimum deposit required, and you can deposit and withdraw at any time for free.
• Con: For accounts that don’t maintain an average end-of-month equity balance of $2,000 or execute at least five trades during the 12-month period following the anniversary of when the account was first funded, TradeStation charges an annual inactivity fee of $50.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

7) BlockFi

BlockFi is one of the easiest places to buy, sell and earn cryptocurrency. The exchange allows users to earn up to 7.5% APY on their cryptocurrency and offers a commission-free trading environment, similar to Robinhood. BlockFi provides users the opportunity to earn interest on their crypto holdings instantly, which had never been done before. They also offer crypto credit cards where you can earn Bitcoin on every purchase.

So what if you need customer service? BlockFi offers support in three avenues: live chat, email, and phone lines with an agent during weekdays.

Details

• Fees: There are no hidden fees, no minimum balances, and no reason to wait.
• Pro: With a BlockFi Interest Account (BIA), your cryptocurrency can earn up to 7.5% APY. Interest accrues daily and is paid monthly.
• Con: None, BlockFi is committed to trust and transparency. BlockFi has one of the built a best-in-class compliance program to protect your assets

8) Gemini

Gemini is the best place to buy Bitcoin with debit card instantly. Gemini makes it simple to research the crypto market, buy Bitcoin and other cryptos, and build a portfolio for the future of money.

You can also buy DOGE on the platform and is one of the only exchanges where your deposits are FDIC-protected.

Details

• Fees: Gemini charges 3.99% fees for credit/debit card purchases but you can get your coins instantly. 1.49% if you buy from your bank account.
• Pro: You can buy Bitcoin right now with a debit card, very easy to use app-based interface, available in all 50 states, you can even earn interest on your crypto.
• Con: Customer service support is not the best.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: High
• Reputation: Trusted

9) Crypto.com

Crypto.com was founded in 2016 on the simple belief that: It’s a basic human right for everyone to control their money, data, and identity. Since its establishment, Crypto.com has built an ecosystem on crypto and launched various products to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency.

There are currently 10 millions users using the Crypto.com platform and they are one of the first crypto companies to obtain the highest security and compliance standard in the industry.

Crypto.com Exchange launched in 2019, allowing users to trade 80+ market pairs and 30+ major cryptocurrencies including but not limited to Bitcoin(BTC), Ethereum(ETH), Shiba Inu (SHIB), XRP, Litecoin(LTC), USDT, USDC, CRO with a very competitive pricing and fee model.

Details

• Fees: The maker/taker fee structure at Crypto.com is complicated. The maker charge can be anything from 0.036% to 0.10%, while the taker cost can range from 0.090% to 0.16%, depending on your 30-day trading volume.
• Pro: Spend with the Crypto.com Visa Card and get up to 8% back. You can grow your portfolio by receiving rewards up to 14.5% on your crypto assets.
• Con: The fees are complicated and you can’t access the platform via Desktop (only iOS or Android apps). Plus, 35+ coins are unavailable to U.S. residents.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Fair
• Reputation: Trusted

10) Unifimoney

Unifimoney is currently available for iOS (sorry Android users) and you can use it to buy and sell more than 30 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin. You can also buy alternative assets like gold, silver, and platinum. This app handles all your finances in one app, including robo advisor, banking, investing, cryptocurrency trading, insurance, credit cards, loans, mortgage and more.

After downloading the app, you sign up with your SSN and ID. There’s also a $100 minimum funding requirement to open an Unifimoney account. But with Unifimoney’s sign up bonus, you can earn up to $5,000 in free Bitcoin the more you deposit. Reward tiers include:

Tier	Initial Deposit	Bitcoin Reward	Deposit Period
1	$1,000	$25	30 Days
2	$10,000	$100	30 Days
3	$20,000	$250	90 Days
4	$50,000	$500	90 Days
5	$100,000	$1,000	90 Days
6	$250,000	$2,500	90 Days
7	$500,000	$5,000	90 Days

Details

• Fees: Unifimoney uses Gemini for its cryptocurrency broker.
• Pro: Taking advantage of the free Bitcoin bonus for new users is up to you, but it’s nice that Unifimoney lets you earn free Bitcoin just for joining.
• Con: Can’t transfer crypto holdings to an external wallet.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Fair
• Reputation: New

Related: Unifimoney Review: Investing & Money Management Simplified

11) ProBit Exchange

ProBit Exchange supports over 150 currencies with 5 major coins as quote currencies bitcoin included. ProBit aims to provide users with a wide array of the most trusted coins and tokens on the market and abundant trading pairs. As a global coin-to-coin (C2C) exchange, they provide users with a fast and robust trading experience with its massive processing capacity of 1,500,000 transactions per second – one of the world’s fastest among competitors.

Signing up at ProBit.com with at least $50 worth of digital asset deposit earns you 4USDT in your ProBit wallet. Once signed up, you can earn more rewards through the referral program by simply inviting your friends.

Details

• Fees: ProBit uses PROB tokens as the currency for platform transactions. They charge a low fee of 0.10% for takers and 0.05% for makers.
• Pro: Lightning-fast engine allowing 1,500,000 transactions per second gives users a great trading advantage.
• Con: Relatively new platform, yet to gain bigger following.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to navigate and fully customizable
• Fees: Average
• Reputation: Trusted

You can sign up to ProBit.com and be one of the first to try this new upcoming exchange for yourself.

12) Coinmama

Coinmama is one of the most popular digital currencies exchanges available. It allows customers in almost every country to buy bitcoin with a credit or debit card as long as it’s a Visa or MasterCard.

Details

• Fees: Coinmama charges a 6.6% fee on each purchase. 5% additional fee for credit/debit card purchases, but you can get your coins instantly.
• Pro: Reliable and trusted broker and works in almost all countries.
• Con: Some of the highest fees among credit/debit card bitcoin brokers.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to Navigate
• Fees: High
• Reputation: Average

If you wanted to create a Coinmama account you can create a Coinmama account by clicking this link.

13) Coinbase Pro

Coinbase Pro (Coinbase’s exchange), is one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the United States. Users can fund their accounts via bank transfer, SEPA, or bank wire. Coinbase Pro offers good prices and low fees, but their confusing user interface may initially prove difficult to navigate.

Details

• Fees: Possible to buy bitcoins for 0% fees.
• Pro: One of the lowest fees available for US and UE users.
• Con: The user interface is not easy to navigate for beginners.

Summary

• User Interface: Difficult to Navigate
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

If you wanted to create a Coinbase Pro account you can create a Coinbase account by clicking this link.

14) CEX.io

CEX.io lets you buy bitcoin with a credit card, ACH bank transfer, SEPA transfer, cash, or AstroPay. Purchases made with a credit card give you access to your bitcoin immediately. CEX.io works in the United States, Europe, and certain countries in South America.

Details

• Fees: Low 0.2% trading fee.
• Pro: CEX.io is one of the oldest Bitcoin exchanges around so it is trusted.
• Con: Verification process more intensive than most exchanges and requires a photo ID.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to Navigate
• Fees: Average
• Reputation: Trusted

If you wanted to create a CEX.io account you can create a CEX.io account by clicking this link.

15) BitQuick

BitQuick allows you to conveniently buy bitcoin. BitQuick is a fast way to buy Bitcoins in the United States using cash deposits. Users can browse a wide range of offers at various prices. Once the desired offer is found, buyers visit a bank to make a cash deposit into the seller’s account. Buyers then usually receive their Bitcoins within an hour. However, there are some users saying they had issues using the platform, and the customer service is lacking — so be wary.

Details

• Fees: 2% fees for buyers.
• Pro: One of the fastest ways to buy bitcoins.
• Con: 2% fees for buyers are a bit high for cash trading.

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to Navigate
• Fees: Average
• Reputation: Poor

If you wanted to create a BitQuick account you can create a BitQuick account by clicking this link.

16) LocalBitcoins

LocalBitcoins is an escrow service which also helps to match bitcoin buyers and sellers. The most common method of payment for the purchase is cash deposit. However, users may advertise trades for whichever payment method they prefer.

Buying bitcoins via an in-person meeting, secured and facilitated by LocalBitcoins, may be one of the fastest and most private ways to buy bitcoins in any country.

Details

• Fees: Transactions to wallets of other LocalBitcoins users are free.
• Pro: One of the fastest and most private ways to buy bitcoins in the United States.
• Con: Can be more difficult to purchase larger amounts of bitcoins.

Summary

• User Interface: Difficult to Navigate
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

If you wanted to create a LocalBitcoins account you can create a LocalBitcoins account by clicking this link.

17) Bitbuy

Bitbuy is one of Canada’s most popular and trusted platform to buy Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Bitbuy is registered with FINTRAC and is audited annually. Their easy to use interface is designed for both beginners and experienced traders. Customer service is available by phone or chat for any user that requires assistance. They also offer over-the-counter trading.

Details

• Fees: Transparent fee model, with trading fees as low as 0.10%
• Pro: Trusted Canadian platform that is regularly audited
• Con: Available only in Canada

Summary

• User Interface: Easy to Navigate
• Fees: Low
• Reputation: Trusted

If you want to create a Bitbuy account, you can create a Bitbuy account by clicking this link.

Related: Coinbase vs eToro: Cryptocurrency Trading Comparison

How do I get started investing in cryptocurrency for beginners?

The first step is to open an account with one of the exchanges above. The main one is Coinbase, which allows you to exchange US dollars for Bitcoin or Ethereum, which can then be transferred to a different exchange to buy cryptocurrencies.

Learn how to get started with cryptocurrency trading and investing with cryptocurrency guides.

Understand how coins like Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum work. Also, understand the risks. The risk is high, but the reward is high too.

If you wanted to get in on the action, you can do it with the Coinbase app. If you sign up through this link you’ll get $5 for signing up!